Chahat stormed into her apartment, tossing her bag onto the couch with a frustrated sigh. She had spent the entire day ignoring the whispered rumors around campus, but finding that ridiculous gossip forum post had pushed her over the edge.
"Do they have nothing better to do?" she muttered, pacing the living room.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Mehendi stepped in, looking exhausted from her shift. She barely had time to set her bag down before Chahat turned to her, fuming.
"Can you believe this? The entire college is acting like I'm part of some royal love triangle when I'm just trying to exist!"
Mehendi blinked, confused. "Uh… what?"
Before Chahat could explain, another knock came at the door. She yanked it open to find Tiya, casually leaning against the frame, holding a bag of snacks.
"Yo," Tiya said, stepping in without an invite. "I heard a certain someone had a meltdown in the forum. Thought I'd come see it for myself."
Chahat groaned. "Don't start, Tiya."
Tiya flopped onto the couch, opening a packet of chips. "What? I'm just saying, it's hilarious that you actually went off on them. I mean, no offense, but that's the most interesting thing you've done in a while."
Chahat shot her a glare. "You think this is funny? These people are turning my life into some ridiculous soap opera! Jay this, Kiya that—like I don't have anything better to do than be part of their fake drama."
Mehendi, still catching up, frowned. "Wait, are you saying people actually think you and Jay—"
"Yes!" Chahat threw her hands up. "And it's stupid! Jay is Jay. I'm me. We argue, we joke, and that's it. Why do people have to make it something more?"
Tiya smirked. "Well, you did storm off from the Holi party together. Then, you were seen with him at a café. It's not totally baseless."
Chahat groaned again, rubbing her temples. "I was talking to him, not proposing marriage! I swear, the way these people twist things…"
Mehendi, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke. "Honestly? Sounds exhausting. But, Chahat, you do realize the more you react, the more fuel you're adding, right?"
Tiya nodded in agreement. "She's right. By now, half the college has probably seen your little rant. You're making it too interesting for them to ignore."
Chahat paused, then sank onto the couch in defeat. "So what, I should've just let them spread nonsense?"
Mehendi shrugged. "Sometimes, ignoring things makes them die faster. You just gave them a new reason to keep talking."
Tiya grinned. "Oooor… you could lean into the chaos and really mess with them. Make up something wild, throw them off completely."
Chahat glared. "Not. Helping."
Tiya just laughed. Mehendi shook her head, amused.
As much as Chahat hated to admit it, they had a point. But she wasn't going to let this gossip control her life.
She crossed her arms. "Fine. Next time, I'll just let them look stupid on their own."
Mehendi smiled. "That's more like it."
Tiya popped another chip into her mouth. "Boring. But fine."
With that, the tension eased a little. But deep down, Chahat had a nagging feeling—this wasn't over yet.